


When You Warm the Bed

by walkalittleline



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: M/M, it's about the yearning, mild episode 88 spoilers, reaction fic mostly, there's only one bed and they should be sharing it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:55:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21862555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/walkalittleline/pseuds/walkalittleline
Summary: “Caduceus?”It’s so unexpected, at first he thinks he imagined it, that his mind has manifested his daydreaming into something real. He lies still, holding his breath and listening acutely for any indication that Fjord really did say his name.“Cad? Are you awake?”
Relationships: Caduceus Clay/Fjord
Comments: 13
Kudos: 349





	When You Warm the Bed

The sky outside has long since gone dark, white-gold moonlight flitting through the rain washed windows and gauzy curtains to leave long, blurred lines across the wall and floor. Caduceus isn’t sure how long he’s been staring at them trying to fall asleep, still exhausted and battered but unable to take his mind off the fact that Fjord is sleeping on the bed only a few feet away from him. 

He can hear him breathing, the slow sound of it in the stillness broken otherwise only by the soft patter of rain on the glass and the occasional clatter of hooves and cart wheels on the cobblestone outside.

He closes his eyes tightly and tries to clear his head. It’s something that’s usually easy for him to do, he can’t remember the last time he’s laid awake like this. The first night after he left the Grove. His first night at sea. But this is a different sort of restlessness. That had been rooted in uncertainty, unfamiliarity, the thought that all of his decisions and feelings had been wrong. 

Now, he can’t stop his heart rate from climbing every time he hears Fjord shift in his sleep, can’t keep from straining his ears for hope that he might wake up and say something to him. If anything, this restlessness is perhaps _worse_ since Fjord has done nothing but prove time and time again that his trust and time has not been misplaced. He’s watched him blossom and flourish like a plant left in the dark too long finally being turned towards the sun. He’s not sure when exactly the pride and admiration turned to affection.

It scares him, a little, how much his thoughts have been preoccupied with Fjord lately. He’s never had feelings like this before and the newness of it all makes him feel like he’s walking around in the dark, liable to fall off a cliff-side or trip at any moment. The way Fjord’s smile makes his stomach squirm, the way his voice goes soft when they’re together and makes Caduceus feel like his inside have turned molten, or how sometimes when he’s feeling particularly giddy with fondness, he can’t stop himself from smiling so hard at the thought of him he has to bury his face in his pillow.

They’ve shared a room before but not since Caduceus realized his feelings, and now he just feels anxious and too aware of the proximity to let his brain rest. He’s never minded sleeping on the floor, though now all he can think about is what it would be like simply lying on the same bed next to Fjord.

“Caduceus?”

It’s so unexpected, at first he thinks he imagined it, that his mind has manifested his daydreaming into something real. He lies still, holding his breath and listening acutely for any indication that Fjord really did say his name.

“Cad? Are you awake?”

The nickname makes it hard for him to bite back a smile.

“Yeah,” he says, fighting to keep his voice steady. “I’m awake.”

He hears Fjord sit up on the bed behind him.

“You don’t have to sleep on the floor,” Fjord says. His voice is hushed in the darkness. “There’s plenty of room on the bed.”

Caduceus swallows down a yes, shaking his head.

“I’m alright,” he says quietly. “I don’t mind sleeping on the floor.”

“...What if I wanted you to sleep on the bed?”

Caduceus’ fingers clench around the hem of the blanket he’s under and he has to catch himself from exhaling shakily at Fjord’s response, his brain racing to try and interpret what it might mean. He gathers his composure and sits up himself, turning to face Fjord with a bemused look that almost falters when he realizes Fjord is shirtless. He’d politely turned his back when he’d been getting changed for bed and he’s guiltily regretting it now that he sees Fjord’s bare chest and arms, leanly muscled and drawing his eyes downward.

“It doesn’t sit right,” Fjord says, bringing Caduceus’ attention back to him. “You sleeping on the floor after everything we went through today. After… what you gave me.”

“Okay,” Caduceus says before he can stop himself, wincing internally at how breathlessly eager he sounds to his own ears.

If Fjord notices, he doesn’t mention it, shifting to the other side of the bed so Caduceus can take the spot where he’d just been lying. Caduceus stands and shuffles over the climb under the blanket, rolling onto his side away from Fjord and positioning himself as close to the edge as possible without falling off. The bed is still warm with his body heat.

“Thank you,” he whispers.

“You’re welcome,” Fjord says, suddenly much closer than when Caduceus had been on the floor. The bed feels much smaller now. 

He realizes quickly that this is somehow worse than lying on the floor next to the bed. Fjord is barely a foot away from him now, so close he can feel every movement he makes through the shifts in the blankets and mattress. It hurts, almost, being so close to him and not being able to tell him everything he’s been thinking and feeling over the past few weeks, wanting so badly to roll over and touch his fingers to his bare shoulder just to feel the warmth of his skin against his own instead of through the blankets where he'd slept.

He squeezes his eyes shut and wills himself to sleep to no avail. There’s a rustling of blankets and he stiffens when he feels Fjord directly behind him, the mattress dipping slightly with his weight and the sound of his breathing impossibly close. His heart pounds heavily in his chest as he waits for something to happen, half tempted to say something but not sure he’d actually be able to form any sort of coherent sentence.

There’s a touch on his waist, feather-light and gentle, and he jumps, inhaling sharply. He doesn’t withdraw though, feeling nearly light-headed as he holds his breath again. Fjord’s hand settles more fully on his waist, still a careful touch but more confident than before. His hand moves over Caduceus’ hip and down to his thigh, his touch so light it makes his whole body shiver.

“...Fjord?” he whispers, still keeping himself perfectly still, barely breathing as Fjord’s hand stops.

“Tell me to stop,” Fjord murmurs. His breath is warm on the nape of Caduceus’ neck. “Tell me to stop and I will.”

Caduceus twists his head back to look at him, resting his hand on top of Fjord’s to keep him from pulling it away. He can barely see him in the dim moonlight, his eyes reflecting it back at him, pale and wide.

“I don’t want you to stop,” he says. He wets his lips nervously, almost expecting Fjord to laugh it off. His heart is beating so rapidly it’s hard to breathe. He rolls over to face Fjord, touching his fingertips tentatively to where his other hand is resting between them.

Fjord blinks and breathes out quick and unsteady, hesitant as his hand moves to rest on Caduceus’ cheek. His eyes dart uncertain over Caduceus’ face before landing on his lips as he tilts his chin up towards him, his eyelids falling but not closing fully until his lips press lightly against Caduceus’. They’re soft and warm, the blunt tips of his tusks just poking out from his bottom lip. Caduceus has to stop himself from pushing back to kiss him more firmly.

It’s only a few seconds’ contact, careful and chaste, and Fjord exhales warm against his lips when he pulls away, his hand still cupping Caduceus’ cheek. 

“Was that okay?” he whispers, so close as he looks up at Caduceus, unsure, that he can see the stark, pale lines of the scars crossing his brow. "Do you want this?"

Caduceus nods and the corners of Fjord’s lips twitch up in a relieved smile. His fingertips sweep slowly over Caduceus’ temple, down his cheek and along his jaw, sending another pleasant shiver over his skin.

“I want to kiss you again,” Fjord says in that same hushed voice. “Is that okay?”

Caduceus nods again. “I’d like that.”

Fjord splays his hands on the side of Caduceus’ neck and kisses him again, harder this time but still gentle. Caduceus pushes back to meet the kiss enthusiastically, laying his hand on Fjord’s chest as he does. His skin is warm under his palm. Fjord’s mouth opens slightly and his head tilts to the side to more closely slot their lips together. Caduceus can’t help but whine quietly when he feels his tongue brush against his own. Fjord pulls away with a wet smack and Caduceus chases his lips greedily.

“Is it too much?” Fjord murmurs. There’s a roughness to his voice that makes Caduceus’ blood run suddenly hot.

“No,” Caduceus replies with a shake of his head. “It’s not enough.”

He pushes Fjord lightly onto his back, swinging one leg over him and sitting up on his knees so he’s straddling his hips, his hands planted on his chest. His tousled hair falls in a loose sheet around his face and he tucks it absently behind his ear, stilling when Fjord lifts his hand to follow the movement with his own fingertips.

“You’re so beautiful,” he breathes. 

He slides his hand around to hold the back of Caduceus’ head and pull him down into another kiss. He grips his thigh with his other hand, rubbing slowly up and down it in a way that makes it hard for Caduceus to focus on the kiss. He can’t stop himself from shifting his hips down in search of friction as heat pools heavy in his belly.

Fjord gasps and groans, fingers tightening in Caduceus’ hair as his own hips buck up from the bed. Caduceus can feel him half-hard against the seam of his thigh where it meets his groin and he feels warmth flood his cheeks at the thought of making him feel arousal like this.

“Can I touch you?” Fjord whispers against his lips. His fingers tighten around his upper thigh, his thumb digging in inches away from where he’s growing hard under his own clothes.

Caduceus nods eagerly, sitting up as Fjord rucks the hem of his shirt up to run his hand over his stomach. He helps Caduceus tug the shirt over his head to toss aside, his eyes dragging down his bare skin. He trails both hands down Caduceus’ chest, tracing the lines of his ribs and brushing past his navel. One hand comes to rest on his hip, rubbing over the faint jut of his hipbone, while the other drops to cup the bulge under his clothes. His eyes don’t leave Caduceus’ face, silently asking permission and squeezing lightly when Caduceus nods.

His thighs tremble and his eyes flutter shut at the touch, a breathless sort of groan leaving him as Fjord shapes his hand over his erection and kneads the heel of his palm down. He's so warm he can feel the heat prickling up his neck and across his cheeks. He has to catch himself with a hand on Fjord’s chest when he rubs him again, his whole body curling forward instinctively.

“Fjord,” he murmurs, taken aback by how low and rough his own voice sounds.

“I’m here,” Fjord whispers. He props himself up on one elbow so he can kiss the underside of Caduceus’ jaw. He groans quietly, a raw, needy sound as he mouths at Caduceus’ jaw and throat, dragging over the sensitive skin as he presses closer, his hand still palming Caduceus through his clothes. 

Caduceus closes his eyes, tilting his head to expose his neck to Fjord and shivering when his tusks catch the skin just under his ear. He rolls his hips into Fjord’s touch, Fjord groaning and swearing softly at the friction. He fumbles clumsily with the front of Caduceus’ smallclothes, tucking the waistband under his erection. He stops kissing his neck just long enough to lick his palm and fingers, wrapping his now slick hand around Caduceus and stroking smoothly.

“Is that okay?” he murmurs, smiling against Caduceus’ skin as he nods and whines at the contact of bare skin.

He tries to undo the knot on Fjord’s own clothes with unsteady, trembling fingers, laughing nervously when he finally manages to undo it and pull the fabric down so he can take Fjord in his hand. He’s not as long as Caduceus is, but thicker, heavy and warm in his fingers. He runs his thumb experimentally up the underside to rub over the head, slick with pre-come at the tip. Fjord shudders and groans, his forehead dropping to Caduceus’ shoulder. 

Caduceus pauses to mirror Fjord and lick his hand before squeezing the base of Fjord’s erection and up the length, savoring the way Fjord’s breath comes out ragged and his hips jerk up into the touch. He knows his movements are unsure and inexperienced, but Fjord doesn’t seem to either notice or care, the movement of his own hand unsteady and breath shaky on Caduceus’ neck.

Fjord lifts his head from Caduceus’ shoulder to look him in the eye, resting their foreheads together and letting their lips brush. He’s flushed dark, lips parted and pupils wide and black. His breaths are uneven and shallow, broken by quiet, choked sounds in his throat.

“Close,” he breathes, “I want to—let me see you.”

Caduceus nods. His eyes roam over Fjord’s face, drinking in the little shifts in his expression, his ears twitching up with interest with each small sound he makes. He responds to every squeeze of Caduceus’ fingers or sweep of his thumb across the head of his erection. 

Caduceus feels the aching burn of his orgasm in his groin and grabs the back of Fjord’s head to pull him into a fervent kiss as the heat spreads and spills over. He whimpers into Fjord’s mouth, shaking as he tries to keep the movement of his hand steady. Fjord kisses him back hungrily, groaning and driving his hips up into his hand. He covers Caduceus’ hand with his own, guiding his movement. 

He stills, gasping and grunting softly, warmth spilling over Caduceus’ fingers and easing the glide of his hand. He kisses Fjord and it’s sloppy and uncoordinated as they both try and catch their breath. It slows gradually into something softer, Caduceus still cradling the back of Fjord’s head and rubbing his fingers over the short hair at the nap of his neck.

Fjord laughs suddenly, a quick, breathless and disbelieving sound that Caduceus can’t help but echo until they’re both stifling laughter, grinning uncontrollably. Fjord nuzzles his nose into Caduceus’ cheek and gives him a wide, adoring smile that Caduceus readily returns.

Fjord grimaces and wipes his hand on his clothes, taking Caduceus’ to clean gently as well before slipping his arms around him and squeezing him firmly. He pulls back to give him an overwhelmed look of disbelief and affection.

“I didn’t expect this evening to go this way,” he says, laughing again. He brushes Caduceus’ hair back absently.

“Me neither,” Caduceus says, still a little dazed by the turn of events, as much as he wanted them to happen.

“You… you did want this, right?” Fjord says. He sounds suddenly uncertain, nervous. “You want… me?”

“Of course,” Caduceus replies. “For… so long.”

Fjord breathes out a laugh of relief.

“Divine intervention,” he says with a sweep up of his hand and a grin.

Caduceus laughs. “Divine intervention,” he echoes.

Fjord kisses him again, gentle and brief, and Caduceus has the familiar sensation that he’s melting from the inside out.

“I don’t think it needs saying, but you’re not sleeping on the floor,” Fjord murmurs. “Tonight or any other, as long as you’re sharing a room with me.”

Caduceus smiles and nods. Fjord brushes one hand slowly over his shoulder and down his arm.

“You’re so soft,” he observes, smiling. “Fuzzy.”

“Thank you?” Caduceus says uncertainly.

“I like it,” Fjord murmurs, burying his nose in Caduceus’ neck. He sighs, a quiet, content sound, and Caduceus wraps his arms around him loosely, enjoying the calm closeness. He thinks he might be happy sitting like that the rest of the night if his legs didn’t start cramping after a few minutes.

They end up discarding their dirty clothes and simply crawling under the covers together naked, Fjord pressing up against Caduceus’ back so he can curl his arm around his waist and press his nose to the nape of his neck.

“Goodnight,” he whispers, kissing Caduceus neck before settling in more comfortably. His hand is warm and broad on Caduceus’ chest. 

“Goodnight,” Caduceus murmurs back, smiling as he rests his hand on top of Fjord’s, lacing their fingers together when Fjord spreads his own in invitation. Fjord squeezes his fingers and presses another kiss to his neck before falling silent. 

Caduceus falls asleep much more easily then.


End file.
